Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks
- Downloads：2114
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2024-01-24 01:21:59
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Crystal Wilkinson
- ISBN：0593236513
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Madison
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Thank you， @netgalley ， the author @crystalwilki ， and the publisher @tenspeedpress an imprint of @clarksonpotter for this earc copy in return for an honest review。When I applied for this book through netgalley， I wasn't too sure exactly what I was getting into。 I am a history buff at heart and love learning new recipes。 So this book sounded right up my alley。 Though what I wasn't expecting was to be brought to tears on multiple occasions。 Crystals' family history is fascinating and moving， and Thank you， @netgalley ， the author @crystalwilki ， and the publisher @tenspeedpress an imprint of @clarksonpotter for this earc copy in return for an honest review。When I applied for this book through netgalley， I wasn't too sure exactly what I was getting into。 I am a history buff at heart and love learning new recipes。 So this book sounded right up my alley。 Though what I wasn't expecting was to be brought to tears on multiple occasions。 Crystals' family history is fascinating and moving， and I couldn't help but reflect on my own。 My life is not comparable at all， but what is is the love and connection we both share from cooking recipes passed down through the matriarchs in our lives and the ones from the past。 I loved the sentiment of making recipes better or becoming a better chef than those before us。 I feel like that's ultimately what our family wants from us to be better。 To take what they taught us and use them as the foundation to build on top of。Though sometimes I feel like I get caught up in keeping things the same to preserve them。 When in reality tweaking them as I gain more knowledge is also keeping tradition alive。I really enjoyed this style of memoir and always find it fascinating how much you can learn about a person when they talk about food and what they ate as a child。 Food is a gateway to the soul and a tether to our ancestors， and The Prariesong for the Kitchen Ghosts illustrates this beautifully。 。。。more
Ez4donna
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I absolutely “savored” this book。 Every story has several recipes and every recipe has a story。 Taken from Crystal’s past， the history from Indian Hill in the Appalachian’s， told the tale of hardworking loving ancestors who made due with what they had。 Yet， the recipes were made with love and fortitude。 The recipes I have tried and loved: Basket Meeting Green Beans and New Potatoes， Caramel Cake， Chicken Salad with Curry， Garlicky White Soup Beans， and in the Crock Pot now is Ron’s Pulled Pork。T I absolutely “savored” this book。 Every story has several recipes and every recipe has a story。 Taken from Crystal’s past， the history from Indian Hill in the Appalachian’s， told the tale of hardworking loving ancestors who made due with what they had。 Yet， the recipes were made with love and fortitude。 The recipes I have tried and loved: Basket Meeting Green Beans and New Potatoes， Caramel Cake， Chicken Salad with Curry， Garlicky White Soup Beans， and in the Crock Pot now is Ron’s Pulled Pork。This book is a must for all lovers of history and Good Southern Cooking。 I applaud you Crystal！ Very Well Done！ 。。。more
Theresa
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Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks （Hardcover）by Crystal WilkinsonNote worthy book for personal history， recipes， and black history in the mountains of Kentucky。 The history shows the difficulty of black land owners in the Appalachian region。 The family survived slavery， Jim crow laws， and the great depression。 The family problems affect her entire life， from being raised by her grand mother， to the poverty and financial struggles。 Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks （Hardcover）by Crystal WilkinsonNote worthy book for personal history， recipes， and black history in the mountains of Kentucky。 The history shows the difficulty of black land owners in the Appalachian region。 The family survived slavery， Jim crow laws， and the great depression。 The family problems affect her entire life， from being raised by her grand mother， to the poverty and financial struggles。 She is inspiring that she does not blame the family history for their struggles but social inequity and prejudices。The recipes are introduced not only in the historical concepts but a modern recipes。 As you read the story you want to try the recipes for the wonderous descriptions tingle your appetite。 。。。more
Colleen
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Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts， by Crystal Wilkinson is a feast for the heart and the table。 It's a beautiful tribute to the women who came before by sharing the comfort food they made。 As long as you are remembered you will live forever。 The recipes look delicious， and I'm looking forward to making Granny Christine's Jam Cake with caramel frosting。 This book brought back wonderful memories of the women who came before me。 Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts， by Crystal Wilkinson is a feast for the heart and the table。 It's a beautiful tribute to the women who came before by sharing the comfort food they made。 As long as you are remembered you will live forever。 The recipes look delicious， and I'm looking forward to making Granny Christine's Jam Cake with caramel frosting。 This book brought back wonderful memories of the women who came before me。 。。。more
Sandra
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A great book that hits the soul of the south。 The author ties in her story of rich southern heritage and recipes。 This is one book you want to keep and use in your collection of cookbooks。 I received a complimentary copy of this book， opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。
Carlina Kinch
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Thank you so much to this author， the publisher and netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book。 This is so much more than a cookbook， this is a history lesson， a novel， a cookbook， and an emotional journey all wrapped in one！ I fell in love with it！ The history aspect isn't huge in your face it's there because you need to understand the true reality that was and still is this author， her families and so many others personal history impacted by the realities of history of their t Thank you so much to this author， the publisher and netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book。 This is so much more than a cookbook， this is a history lesson， a novel， a cookbook， and an emotional journey all wrapped in one！ I fell in love with it！ The history aspect isn't huge in your face it's there because you need to understand the true reality that was and still is this author， her families and so many others personal history impacted by the realities of history of their times， it sets the tone for why things were and are at the time。 The novel and story is beautiful， heart wrenching and real it's not glossed over because this was her family， no it's raw， real and there and it makes you think of your family and generations past。 The recipes were incredible， there was a huge variety of recipes that varied all across the board for anything you want to make and it's not very often where a cookbook has a huge variety of recipes I would love to actually make and there are so many in this book！ I cried a couple of times with the memories this author helped invoke （not a bad way just kitchen ghost memories） and that is the mark of a great book。 Everyone needs to read this book， this is so much more than a cookbook it is love and a hug in a book！ Thank you so much to this incredible author for the opportunity to read this incredible book I really appreciate it！ 。。。more
Holly Browning
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This book was just lovely。 I identified so much with the author's strong pull towards her ancestors， and how the very cells in her being are echoes of the strong women in time。 I have ancestors in Casey Co， KY and have heard some of the stories of her African American ancestors。 How very exciting to insight into the lives of women who put their heart and soul in nourishing the bodies with food。 Awesome recipes！ Highly recommend！ #praisesongforthekitchenghosts #crystalwilkinson #netgalley #goodre This book was just lovely。 I identified so much with the author's strong pull towards her ancestors， and how the very cells in her being are echoes of the strong women in time。 I have ancestors in Casey Co， KY and have heard some of the stories of her African American ancestors。 How very exciting to insight into the lives of women who put their heart and soul in nourishing the bodies with food。 Awesome recipes！ Highly recommend！ #praisesongforthekitchenghosts #crystalwilkinson #netgalley #goodreads 。。。more
Diandra Knutson
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What a beauty ❤️ I truly enjoyed flipping through this book。 You can see the love filled in every page。 I liked how there were family stories weaved between the recipes and the pictures were such a great touch。 Very good cookbook！ I’m making the greens recipe tonight！
Manda
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Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this ebook。 Crystal Wilkinson takes us on a journey to the past through today。 Sharing with us memories of cooking with her family and growing up with the knowledge that food is love。 I wasn’t close with my grandmothers and they weren’t people who made delicious food。 So the book didn’t resonate with me like it should have。 But that’s just because of my family life。 I’d never heard of many of the recipes that were made in Crystal’s book。 But they sound in Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this ebook。 Crystal Wilkinson takes us on a journey to the past through today。 Sharing with us memories of cooking with her family and growing up with the knowledge that food is love。 I wasn’t close with my grandmothers and they weren’t people who made delicious food。 So the book didn’t resonate with me like it should have。 But that’s just because of my family life。 I’d never heard of many of the recipes that were made in Crystal’s book。 But they sound interesting。 。。。more
The Book in my Carryon
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A great food memoir makes you feel like you're part of the family， like you've sat at the table and listened to their stories， maybe throwing in a few of your own。 And Crustal Wilkinson definitely pulls that off with her fabulously rich and flavorful， Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts， which gently reaches across time and distance and circumstances to share the memories of her family's kitchen ghosts。 And， I love that phrase， btw。 Like， Ms Wilkinson， I often feel the guiding presence of matriarc A great food memoir makes you feel like you're part of the family， like you've sat at the table and listened to their stories， maybe throwing in a few of your own。 And Crustal Wilkinson definitely pulls that off with her fabulously rich and flavorful， Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts， which gently reaches across time and distance and circumstances to share the memories of her family's kitchen ghosts。 And， I love that phrase， btw。 Like， Ms Wilkinson， I often feel the guiding presence of matriarchs when I'm cooking for the ones I love。The narrative is conversational and wide-ranging， moving effortlessly from personal reflection to social history to family stories and back - and is done flawlessly。 and then there are the recipes， woven into and yet， at the heart， of each section。 Simple food that's rich with Appalachian history and meaning and， thanks to the narrative， all-important context。 Beautifully written and well-researched， Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts hit all the right notes for me - as a memoir， as a recipe book， and as a commentary of family and history and the depth of roots。 I'll be recommending this book to friends and family members。Thanks to NetGalley for bringing Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts and Chrystal Wilkinson to my attention。 。。。more
Jodi
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This is more of a heirloom book full of stories， history accented by recipes that warm your heart。 The book is from the heart honoring ancestors and their stories as well as the story of the family。 The book provides a small look into the past for this family and all those before of us。 Done wonderfully like you are hearing the stories of the family while enjoying a meal and being provided someone's history of the past and their steps towards the future。 Like you are looking through a family alb This is more of a heirloom book full of stories， history accented by recipes that warm your heart。 The book is from the heart honoring ancestors and their stories as well as the story of the family。 The book provides a small look into the past for this family and all those before of us。 Done wonderfully like you are hearing the stories of the family while enjoying a meal and being provided someone's history of the past and their steps towards the future。 Like you are looking through a family album with a recipe book。 Inspires me to write down the recipes and the stories of my past for future generations to understand where they come from so they know where they are going。。Thank you to the author for sharing the story and recipes， Netgalley and the publisher。 。。。more
Shelby *trains flying monkeys*
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This book is not really a cookbook but stories about the authors ancestors and growing up with food being the centerpiece for the family。 I really enjoyed the stories so much and it reminded me of times I had growing up。Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review。
Becka
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Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts left me speechless。 It is truly a love story told to honor the food， family， and culture that shaped author Crystal Wilkinson’s life。 The book is full of stunning photographs， of both dishes created from the book’s recipes as well as the author’s family photos to accompany stories of generations of her Appalachian Kentucky family。 In reading this book， not only did I learn about the history of black Appalachians， I also was greatly convinced of the importance of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts left me speechless。 It is truly a love story told to honor the food， family， and culture that shaped author Crystal Wilkinson’s life。 The book is full of stunning photographs， of both dishes created from the book’s recipes as well as the author’s family photos to accompany stories of generations of her Appalachian Kentucky family。 In reading this book， not only did I learn about the history of black Appalachians， I also was greatly convinced of the importance of passing kitchen knowledge on from one generation to another， as much of what this book describes is becoming a lost art。 I cannot think of a better way for Wilkinson to honor her ancestors than through lovingly crafting this book。 I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy。Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
JoyReaderGirl1
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One of the most fascinating and educational cookbooks that I have had the pleasure of reading in years is a true gem in terms of old-fashioned， simple， but well-executed recipes， as well as a treasure-trove of historical information about Appalachian peoples of color。 Documented with family genealogy， poignant anecdotes， and lovely photographs， former Kentucky Poet Laureate and O。 Henry Prize-winning writer， Crystal Wilkinson’s， “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five G One of the most fascinating and educational cookbooks that I have had the pleasure of reading in years is a true gem in terms of old-fashioned， simple， but well-executed recipes， as well as a treasure-trove of historical information about Appalachian peoples of color。 Documented with family genealogy， poignant anecdotes， and lovely photographs， former Kentucky Poet Laureate and O。 Henry Prize-winning writer， Crystal Wilkinson’s， “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks，” is a gastronomic feast for the eyes and stomach。From fluffy scratch biscuits; to sizzling cast iron skillet cornbread; decadent Indian corn pudding; sinfully rich and buttery chess pie; and authentic burnt-sugar caramel icing （just like my great granny used to make）—these are just a smattering of the homey goodness readers will find in “Kitchen Ghosts。” There are also a few more recipes for exotic local mountain dishes—like sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns—that will make your special meal absolutely gourmet。I’ve always considered Cookbooks great treasures of any society because they get to the heart and soul of the local culture almost better than other forms of anthropological research because eating is a primal necessity， and what people eat and how it’s prepared reflects not only on the availability of resources， but also the ancestral traditions of those combining ingredients to make a tasty meal for those they love。 Crystal Wilkinson’s， “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks，” is just such a culinary masterpiece。JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley， Author Crystal Wilkinson， and Publisher Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for this advanced reader’s copy （ARC） for review。 。。。more
Ivonne Rovira
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The title pretty much says it all: Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks。 Cookbook author and former Kentucky poet laureate Crystal Wilkinson has compiled recipes and stories from her ancestors， who lived in Indian Creek in Eastern Kentucky。 Wilkinson’s family goes back in that area to 1808， when the slave-owning white Wilkinsons brought an enslaved 13-year-old girl with them from Virginia。 That girl， Aggy， grew up to marry white Tarl The title pretty much says it all: Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks。 Cookbook author and former Kentucky poet laureate Crystal Wilkinson has compiled recipes and stories from her ancestors， who lived in Indian Creek in Eastern Kentucky。 Wilkinson’s family goes back in that area to 1808， when the slave-owning white Wilkinsons brought an enslaved 13-year-old girl with them from Virginia。 That girl， Aggy， grew up to marry white Tarlton Wilkinson and became a freedwoman and bore him 10 children。 She is also — among others — the inspiration for this cookbook。Wilkinson weaves in some interesting family history， but — as with all cookbooks — the centerpiece are the recipes culled from her ancestors and extended family。 The Appalachian cookery includes the expected， of course， such as Hot Milk Cake， chicken and dumplings， Chess Pie， Pine Lick Mutton Leg and Gravy， Pimento Cheese with a Kick， Classic Benedictine， corn pudding， blackberry jam， Grandma’s Blackberry Cobbler， skillet cornbread — unsweetened， as they like it in Kentucky。 But Wilkinson throws in some surprises， as well: greens without bacon or ham， Sautéed Fiddleheads， fried plantains， Creamy Tomato Soup， Chicken Salad with Curry， Wild Berry Lemonade， The Dark Crystal Latte。 In the interest of full disclosure， I received this book from NetGalley， Clarkson Potter Publishers and Ten Speed Press in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reading Adventures
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I don’t even know where to begin。 This was a powerful one。 I received this as an ARC and I am counting the days till I can buy it for myself。 I am from the western North Carolina part of the Appalachian Mountains。 This area is so rich in history and culture but it is often missed out on a legacy that is almost hidden and that is the Black Appalachians。 I was so in love with the book。 The story telling paired with all the wonderful recipes are absolutely amazing。 I love the history of the book， a I don’t even know where to begin。 This was a powerful one。 I received this as an ARC and I am counting the days till I can buy it for myself。 I am from the western North Carolina part of the Appalachian Mountains。 This area is so rich in history and culture but it is often missed out on a legacy that is almost hidden and that is the Black Appalachians。 I was so in love with the book。 The story telling paired with all the wonderful recipes are absolutely amazing。 I love the history of the book， all the old pictures， which are a passion of mine。 I loved reading how she grew up and how food became important。 I come from the same family history of generations of cooks as the women in our family did whatever they could to make magnificent meals from limited sources。 They made everything count and our families were blessed for it。 I really loved learning about the history of her Appalachian roots and how they shaped her into who she is。 The chicken and dumplings is an all time favorite of mine growing up， along with soup beans， pulled pork and my favorite angel food cake。 The recipes were so well written and easy to understand。 I loved this book and I keep going back to read it again。 I will be buying this as a gift for my daddy whose love of our Appalachian history continues with me。 You will love the food， the history and the love in this book。 Enjoy。I highly recommend this to any history buff， any down home cook or any of my Appalachian neighbors to enjoy 。。。more
Becky
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I took my time with this book， savoring the stories and memories tied to each recipe。 The narrative brought each recipe to life。 I cannot wait to try some of the recipes in my own kitchen。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this title。 Publication date: 23 Jan 2024
Kelly
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A treasure trove of family stories and recipes！ There are not many books about African American communities in Appalachia， and this book highlights the strength of those communities， the essense of previous generations still present in heart， and the food they shared。 I'd love to have a seat at the author's table to hear her family's stories firsthand and sample some of the recipes her family passed down in a small recipe box。 The photos of the people and the food were nicely done。 I wish there A treasure trove of family stories and recipes！ There are not many books about African American communities in Appalachia， and this book highlights the strength of those communities， the essense of previous generations still present in heart， and the food they shared。 I'd love to have a seat at the author's table to hear her family's stories firsthand and sample some of the recipes her family passed down in a small recipe box。 The photos of the people and the food were nicely done。 I wish there had been more photos。I received a free copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lori
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I received a copy of "Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts， by Crystal Wilkinson。 This is a unique book。 The author shares her generations of family recipes。 Her family comes from the Appalachian south。 She shares fond memories of her family get togethers。 with this she shares the recipes that have been served for over 150 years。 Some of them going back to relatives who were slaves。 She has chapters focusing on holidays and church gatherings and the recipes and delicious dishes that were served。 in I received a copy of "Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts， by Crystal Wilkinson。 This is a unique book。 The author shares her generations of family recipes。 Her family comes from the Appalachian south。 She shares fond memories of her family get togethers。 with this she shares the recipes that have been served for over 150 years。 Some of them going back to relatives who were slaves。 She has chapters focusing on holidays and church gatherings and the recipes and delicious dishes that were served。 in her book are shared recipes for pork， wonderful desserts， Breakfast recipes， blackberry recipes。 and so many other wonderful recipes that her family enjoyed over the years。 Wow。 all I know is I wish I could sit at that table and sample some of these delicious meals。 I enjoyed reading this book。 only thing is I had to read it on my phone， guess I am old gal who has never read a book on my phone。 First time for everything I guess。 I would give this book a 4。5。 。。。more
Candy
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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review。What a magnificent title for this culinary journey through the Appalachian hills of Kentucky！ Wilkinson is a natural storyteller， and reminisces about her family’s history while sharing the recipes passed down from one generation to the next。 Her recollections are vivid， and it was easy to picture women stringing green beans， using their dresses pouched between their knees。 This is truly a co Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review。What a magnificent title for this culinary journey through the Appalachian hills of Kentucky！ Wilkinson is a natural storyteller， and reminisces about her family’s history while sharing the recipes passed down from one generation to the next。 Her recollections are vivid， and it was easy to picture women stringing green beans， using their dresses pouched between their knees。 This is truly a cookbook written with love and it will touch your heart from the first page， which features a photo of her great-grandparents。 Wilkson writes that she wishes her ancestors could step out of the photo， telling her their thoughts on the life they made for their descendants， what their eyes have seen， and where their old shoes have walked。 Wilkinson shows how we use food for healing， love and care， as well as how it tethers us to the past。 There are beautiful photos of each recipe， but I especially loved the pages with her kitchen ghosts’ aged， tattered and stained recipe cards。 https://candysplanet。wordpress。com/ 。。。more
Karen Hancock
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Good recipes are most fun if they are shared， and even better if they are heirloom recipes from families。 Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks 。 Crystal Wilkinson （who is a cook and an award winning poet）， not only shares recipes from generations of her family who settled in Appalachia， but tells wonderful stories of the ancestors who prepared them。 The stories are well-written， historical， and fascinating。 Wilkinson has a gift and b Good recipes are most fun if they are shared， and even better if they are heirloom recipes from families。 Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks 。 Crystal Wilkinson （who is a cook and an award winning poet）， not only shares recipes from generations of her family who settled in Appalachia， but tells wonderful stories of the ancestors who prepared them。 The stories are well-written， historical， and fascinating。 Wilkinson has a gift and brings out the personalities of those who developed the recipes， making it seem like we are making recipes from beloved friends and relatives。 According to Wilkinson， she feels her ancestors’ presence when she is making the recipes; readers should be so lucky。 The recipes represent southern cooking at the highest （and most delicious） level。 The recipes are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed， followed by step-by-step instructions。 This makes it easy for both beginning and advanced cooks to enjoy preparing and presenting the recipes to those they love to feed。One of the best parts of this book is that there are beautiful photographs， not only of the people in the stories， but also of the mouthwatering recipes。This is a book that most readers will want to curl up in a corner and read cover to cover。 It is historical， and includes recipes that most of us will want to make。 Readers will also fall in love with Wilkinson’s family and wish they were a part of it。 Five well-earned stars！Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book。 。。。more
Poppy Marlowe
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Synopsis （from Amazon）****************************************************** I was declined the ability to review this book but as all librarians KNOW people （including other librarians！）， I was able to borrow it and am reviewing it nonetheless。 A lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians， through powerful storytelling alongside nearly forty comforting recipes， from the former poet laureate of Kentucky。People are always surprised that Black people reside in Synopsis （from Amazon）****************************************************** I was declined the ability to review this book but as all librarians KNOW people （including other librarians！）， I was able to borrow it and am reviewing it nonetheless。 A lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians， through powerful storytelling alongside nearly forty comforting recipes， from the former poet laureate of Kentucky。People are always surprised that Black people reside in the hills of Appalachia。 Those not surprised that we were there， are surprised that we stayed。Years ago， when O。 Henry Prize-winning writer Crystal Wilkinson was baking a jam cake， she felt her late grandmother’s presence。 She soon realized that she was not the only cook in her kitchen; there were her ancestors， too， stirring， measuring， and braising alongside her。 These are her kitchen ghosts， five generations of Black women who settled in Appalachia and made a life， a legacy， and a cuisine。An expert cook， Wilkinson shares nearly forty family recipes rooted deep in the past， full of flavour—delicious favourites including Corn Pudding， Chicken and Dumplings， Granny Christine’s Jam Cake， and Praisesong Biscuits， brought to vivid life through stunning photography。 Together， Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts honours the mothers who came before， the land that provided for generations of her family， and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia。As the keeper of her family’s stories and treasured dishes， Wilkinson shares her inheritance in Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts。 She found their stories in her apron pockets， floating inside the steam of hot mustard greens and tucked into the sweet scent of clove and cinnamon in her kitchen。 Part memoir， part cookbook， Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts weaves those stories together with recipes， family photos， and a lyrical imagination to present a culinary portrait of a family that has lived and worked the earth of the mountains for over a century。Now this is my kind of cookbook – simple， honest food with lots of leftovers and lots of biscuits！！！ （Truth be told， I am having a biscuit tattoo added to my arm later this month when I could get an appointment with a new but excellent artist！） I cannot imagine baking or cooking in a dress like worn by the woman on the cover – I hate a hot kitchen。 But then again， there were times when one had no choice but to cook in an outfit like that due to the propriety of time time。 （I look a the photos of my great aunts who did not marry as their job was to care for my great grandfather and wonder how they cooked， cleaned and did the laundry in such finery and layers of clothing with deodorant decades away！）But these recipes are worth having to cook in the heat – I can see wearing this book out cooking over and over from it: it was so appealing that I pre-ordered a personal copy of it for myself。 A great gift idea as well！ #shortbutsweetreviews 。。。more
Ellen
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My mother was the very model of a modern mid-century housewife， cooking for her family using the latest in convenience foods: condensed soups， processed cheese， and boxes of dry casserole helpers。 But Thanksgiving and Christmas were two occasions when she went traditional with roasted turkey， real mashed potatoes， the works。 When I turned the page and saw Crystal Wilkinson’s recipe for Vegetable Soup with Hamburger， it took me right back to our home on Sussex Drive， my mother standing in front o My mother was the very model of a modern mid-century housewife， cooking for her family using the latest in convenience foods: condensed soups， processed cheese， and boxes of dry casserole helpers。 But Thanksgiving and Christmas were two occasions when she went traditional with roasted turkey， real mashed potatoes， the works。 When I turned the page and saw Crystal Wilkinson’s recipe for Vegetable Soup with Hamburger， it took me right back to our home on Sussex Drive， my mother standing in front of the stove， “veggie-burger soup” on the stove and cornbread in the oven。 It was our Christmas Eve meal。 I thought， as a white suburbanite， I would be reading Wilkinson’s words in the abstract， but it turns out I have my own kitchen ghosts。 Crystal Wilkinson is a former Kentucky poet laureate and O Henry award winner and her writing is beautiful and evocative。 She starts a few generations in the past， sharing stories of family gatherings， church meetings， survival （while enslaved and during the depression）， gardening， and other traditions that led to family recipes。 I loved looking at the beautiful photos as much as I enjoyed the poetic writing。 I may not make any of the recipes but that’s not the point。 Reading this beautiful book， we learn a great deal about a black Appalachian culture that might otherwise be forgotten。Many thanks to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Melissa
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*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley。Let's start with the title on this book。 Was there ever a more well-crafted， evocative title？ I certainly don't think so。 It's what drew me in。 Going deeper into the meaning of it， and the framework of the book， you get a combo cookbook， combo memoir， combo history/sociological lesson; and it's really just a well-done mix of topics。 I also appreciated the photography and family memories shared as well。The author， Wilkinson， us *This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley。Let's start with the title on this book。 Was there ever a more well-crafted， evocative title？ I certainly don't think so。 It's what drew me in。 Going deeper into the meaning of it， and the framework of the book， you get a combo cookbook， combo memoir， combo history/sociological lesson; and it's really just a well-done mix of topics。 I also appreciated the photography and family memories shared as well。The author， Wilkinson， uses family history， whether through oral storytelling， written down recipes， or others， to tell of the cooks that came before her。 Her family crafted foodways in Appalachia and kept traditions strong， caring for their families and trying to show that love with food。 I know the first thing you think of when you think Appalachia is not black families， and that is why this book so deeply resonates （and is touched upon by the author as well）。 The area is rich in history， but it's not just the mountain men you see in popular media。 Families eked out a living and learned to use the availability of goods around them。 I can't say I've made any recipes from this book yet， which I normally try to do before writing a review， but that's no fault of the authors。 I just haven't had the time/energy。 But there are plenty in here that I would like to try。 And honestly， just reading about them was enough。 I was hit with memories when I came across the popcorn balls recipe。 It brought me back to my grandfather， preparing tons of them for a fundraiser for his social club every year， storing them in trash bags in an unused staircase in the house， the air smelling like candy。 I recently just hit the anniversary of his death and this first year has been tough; he's one of my kitchen ghosts and the author's messages resonated with me as a result。We all have our ghosts， but a kitchen ghost is not a bad thing to have。Review by M。 Reynard 2023 。。。more
Debra Gaynor
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Praisesong for the Kitchen GhostStories and Recipes From Five Generations of Black Country CooksCrystal WilkinsonAuthor Crystal Wilkinson grew up on her grandparent’s farm in the hills of Appalachia in Indian Hill， KY。 Her grandfather raised。 She was born in 1962 in Hamilton， Ohio。 Her grandfather was a tobacco farmer; he also raised corn and made homemade sorghum molasses。 Her grandmother was a domestic worker for the local schoolteachers。 Crystal shares the history of her family through the re Praisesong for the Kitchen GhostStories and Recipes From Five Generations of Black Country CooksCrystal WilkinsonAuthor Crystal Wilkinson grew up on her grandparent’s farm in the hills of Appalachia in Indian Hill， KY。 Her grandfather raised。 She was born in 1962 in Hamilton， Ohio。 Her grandfather was a tobacco farmer; he also raised corn and made homemade sorghum molasses。 Her grandmother was a domestic worker for the local schoolteachers。 Crystal shares the history of her family through the recipes in this book。 “…food is never just about the present---every dish， every slice， every crumb and kernel also tethers us to the past。” “The recipes in this book were influenced by the matriarchs of the Wilkinson family。 Many of the recipes date back to the 1700s。” The first recipe she shares with readers is Granny Christine’s Jam Cake。 Among the recipes in this book the reader will find: Hot Milk Cake， Chicken and Dumplings， Meatless Greens， Sauteed Fiddleheads， Dressed Eggs， Pine Lick Mutton Leg and Gravy， Basket Meeting Green Beans and New Potatoes， Pimento Cheese With A Kick， Classic Benedictine （Cucumber Spread）， Wild Berry Lemonade， Gingerbread and Sauce， Sweet Sorghum Cookies， Hearty Vegetable Soup With Hamburger， Indian Creek Chili， Chicken And Noodles， Ron’s Pulled Pork， and Easy Old -Fashioned Popcorn Balls。I have tried several of the recipes and they are delicious。 My husband loves Chicken and Dumplings but I have never been able to get it quite right until I used the recipe in Praisesong For the Kitchen Ghost。 While I enjoyed the recipes very much it is the history and stories of author Crystal Wilkinson’s family that truly touched my heart。Thank you Netgalley for a review copy of this book。 My review is my unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Debra Gaynor
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